Pouch for Storage and Preservation of Wine

ABSTRACT

A system for the storage and preservation of wine using a pouch is disclosed. The combination of pouch materials and method of packaging results in a product with an extended shelf-life. The compact and efficient nature of the packing reduces the cost and weight of packaging materials, reducing weight and lowering cost. The laser-scored removable corner allows for easy-opening without worry of spillage.

FIELD

This invention relates to the field of wine preservation and more particularly to a device that safely stores wine for an extended period of time.

BACKGROUND

Time, light, and oxygen are enemies of wine. It is common knowledge that a bottle of wine, once opened, must be consumed within a day or two. If not, exposure to oxygen causes significant damage to the taste and character of the wine.

Although wine bottles are an old technology, a wine bottle can properly preserve wine for long periods of time. Proper care is required of wine bottles, including periodic rotation of the bottles, maintenance of proper temperature, and protection from exposure to light. With such care bottled wine can last many years.

But such storage requirements are often impractical. Wine cellars are expensive, and glass bottles are difficult and heavy to safely transport.

What is needed is a device that allows wine to be easily transported and stored, while still preventing damage due to oxidation and light.

SUMMARY

The disclosed pouch allows wine to be easily transported and stored, while still preventing damage due to oxidation.

The pouch described herein is the first of its kind: A device for transporting a single-serving of wine in a tough but flexible container, while maintaining the taste and appearance of the contained wine. The opaque nature of the pouch prevents light from damaging the contents.

The lack of mechanical connectors, such as spouts, prevents the infiltration of oxygen or the leakage of purge gas. Exemplary mechanical connectors that provide lesser qualities of sealing include spouts, either in the top of the pouch or its front face, taps, generally in the front face.

The flexibility of the pouch itself eliminates breakage and simplifies transport. The semicircular laser-score across the corner of the pouch simplifies the process of opening the pouch and makes pouring simple.

Before and after opening, the pouch can stand on its own.

The pouch is a layered construction consisting of at least three layers of material. In one embodiment, the inner layer that contacts the contents is plastic. The inner layer must be chosen to be inert with respect to the contents to avoid imparting a flavor, or affecting the shelf-life.

The next layer in this embodiment, the middle layer, is a metal layer, such as a metal foil. The metal foil adds structure, is opaque to shield the contents from exposure to light, and reflects heat to minimize temperature increase of contents. Alternative materials are appropriate substitutions if they protect the contents from exposure to the damaging effects of light. Many metals are appropriate for use in the foil, although aluminum is used in this embodiment.

The third layer, the outer layer, of this embodiment is an additional layer of plastic.

As an optional fourth layer, or as a portion of the third layer (outer layer) there is a film containing label artwork. The artwork can be printed on the outer layer, printed to a layer that is then applied, be a sticker or other adhesive-type addition, etc.

There are two primary methods for preventing the contents of the pouch from being exposed to oxygen.

The first is to replace the gas in the headspace above the product with a gas other than air, preferably an inert gas. Nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is preferred.

The second is to remove the gas in the headspace entirely through the use of a vacuum. The use of a vacuum in this manner causes the pouch to be drawn against the contents. With little or no oxygen remaining, the product's life is extended. The drawback to this procedure is that it may be less visually appealing because the pouch may appear shrunken, giving it the appearance of containing less product.

The combination of layers used in the pouch must act as a barrier to prevent the passage of gases, specifically oxygen into the pouch. Oxygen that does pass into the pouch will result in oxidation of the contents. Protection against oxygen infiltration is especially important for wine because oxidation turns the wine brown and makes it taste like cooking sherry.

The reduction or elimination of oxygen/air from the inside of the pouch, and the creation of strong seals between the walls acts as a barrier against oxygen intrusion. Without such barriers the difference between the partial pressures of the oxygen, with a concentration of approximately 21% in the surrounding air and close to 0% within the pouch, will force oxygen inward and negate the benefit of the oxygen replacement/removal.

As discussed, to help prevent oxidation the head space of the pouch is filled with an inert gas, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. In the example embodiment, CO₂, or carbon dioxide, is used. CO₂ gas is inert and will not react with the contents of the pouch, such as wine. CO₂ also has the advantage of being denser than air, simplifying the process of filling because while filling a pouch in the upright position, the space above the liquid can be filled with CO₂, the CO₂ remaining in place while the top of the pouch is sealed.

Nitrogen is sometimes used to fill the purge space in place of CO₂because it is less expensive and more readily available. But because air is primarily nitrogen, the densities are nearly identical. Thus, when the top of the space is filled with nitrogen, it is more likely that the nitrogen purge will mix with the surrounding air during the sealing process, compromising the purity, and potentially introducing oxygen.

An exemplary process for filling the pouches is as follows:

-   -   1. A machine uses suction cups to lift an individual pouch from         a horizontal conveyor belt.     -   2. A second set of suction cups moves the pouch into the         vertical position, opening the pouch using a third set of         suction cups combined with a pressurized stream of CO₂.     -   3. The pouch is then filled, additional CO₂ applied to fill the         head space, and the pouch is sealed using specially designed         heated seal bars.

Mechanical fittings, such as spouts and screw caps, were omitted to avoid creating any location where oxygen would enter the pouch. Instead, the pouch is filled and then sealed. After the pouch is sealed there is no path between the contents of the pouch and the air outside the pouch.

Testing has shown that certain thicknesses of material result in preferred characteristics.

A preferred thickness for the sheets of the pouch is 125 microns, +/−10 microns. A preferred weight for the sheets used to construct the pouch is 135 grams/square-meter, +/−11 grams/square-meter.

The pouch is formed from multiple sheets that create a front, a back, and a bottom. A strong seal between the sheets is important for durability during transport, as well as long-term durability during storage to prevent the infiltration of oxygen or the leaking of product.

In a preferred embodiment, the bond strength of the adhesive used to affix the sheets of material to one another is greater than about 250 g/inch, with a more preferred embodiment including a bond strength of greater than about 400 g/inch.

As discussed, the permeability of oxygen is an important limitation to prevent spoliation. A preferred embodiment allows less than 0.10 cubic-centimeters/square-meter/day of oxygen, where “cubic-centimeters” is the volume of oxygen at 73° F. (23° C.) and 0% relative humidity, “square-meter” is the planar area of sheet material, and “day” is the time span.

The preferred embodiment is 100 millimeters wide, +/−2 millimeters, and 160 millimeters tall, +/−2 millimeters.

The detriment of the pouch being so well sealed is the difficulty of accessing the contents. Pre-cutting a slit in the corner of the pouch can make it possible to tear open by hand, but such tearing is problemantic. Much like tearing a newspaper across the grain, the direction of tear is unpredictable. Prior art pouches sometimes tear below the liquid line, causing the contents to spill. Or a prior art pouch with a pre-cut slit will have a portion of high resistance that causes a user to pull with great force, followed by a portion of low resistance that causes the user to lose control and spill the contents.

In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art methods of opening a pouch, the corner of the pouch device is laser-scored. Laser-scoring uses the focused energy of a laser to remove the pouch material to a specified depth. Laser-scoring a proximal corner of the pouch makes it simple for a user to remove the corner material along a pre-determined path. After the corner material is removed, the content of the pouch is poured out, or a straw inserted into the open corner.

The use of the pouch for storage is more efficient than current methods. In an exemplary embodiment, the pouch is sized to hold 187 ml of wine, equivalent to 6.25 fl oz. A bottle of wine is generally 750 ml, here equal to four pouches. Thus, a case of twelve 750 ml bottles of wine contains the same volume as a case of forty-eight 187 ml pouches. The reduction in packaging weight reduces the resulting case weight by 14 lbs. or 40%, including the weight of the wine. Additionally, the use of pouches rather than bottles results in a tremendous reduction in the volume of packaging.

The pouch also effectively preserves the contents for an extended period of time. The pouch is particularly effective in preventing the oxidation of wine. As part of informal testing performed by the applicant, wine was packaged in numerous pouches, the filled pouches placed in a window in a private location. The office being in Florida, the pouches were exposed to the sun nearly every day. Every three months, over a total time of three years, a pouch was opened. When opened, the contents was checked for proper taste, color, and the presence of oxidation. There was consistently no change in taste, no change in color, and no presence of oxidation. The passage of time has no effect on the wine that was preserved using the pouches.

Not only does the pouch allow for long-term storage of wine without the requirement for a particular method of care (rotation of bottles, etc.) it appears that the shelf life is superior to that of bottles. This is likely due to the pouches ability to completely exclude light. Glass wine bottles may reduce light infiltration, but cannot eliminate it. Additionally, lacking a cork or other imperfect mechanical sealing mechanism means there is no path for gas or liquid to move into or out of the space occupied by the wine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a system of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates the reduction in packaging associated with the pouch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the Pouch for Storage and Preservation of Wine, or Pouch 1, will be described. The pouch 1 is comprised of at least three sheets of material. One sheet forms the front 20, another sheet the back 21, and a third sheet the bottom 22, the bottom 22 at the distal portion of the pouch. The front 20 is fused to the back 21 at the top 2 and the sides 3. The front 20 and back 21 are fused to the bottom 22 along the base edge 4. Fusing can be performed by heat, adhesive, or mechanical means. The result is that the pouch 1, while being made of flexible materials, is free-standing.

But the pouch 1 remains flexible enough for close-packing in its shipping container, minimizing its effective size.

As an alternative to forming the pouch with multiple sheets of material, a single sheet may be used. The single sheet of material is folded along the borders between the surfaces. For example, the sheet may be folded along the joint where the front 20 meets the bottom 22, and where the bottom 22 meets the back 21. The use of a single sheet of material is less wasteful, and simplifies the process of printing the graphics on the pouch exterior.

Multiple means of opening the pouch are optionally included. One means includes laser-scoring the corner of the pouch, shown in FIG. 1 as laser-score 7 on the proximal or upper portion of the pouch. A notch 9 is optionally included to aid in the initial tearing of the laser-score 7. The laser-score 7 is of a curved shape, straight shape, or any other shape or pattern. Referring to FIG. 2, the reduction in packaging that results from use of the pouch will be described. In the background of the figure two stacked pallets of wine bottles are shown in cardboard boxes. In the foreground, held by the gentleman, is a single box containing sufficient empty pouches to hold the same volume of wine as two pallets, or ninety cases, of wine bottles. The difference in packing volume is significant, reducing the cost to transport empty bottles to the filling location. Additionally, the flexibility of the filled pouches allows for close packing, reducing the volume required for filled packaging.

Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.

It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pouch for the storage of wine, the pouch comprising: a. a front sheet made of one or more layers, the front sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; b. a back sheet made of one or more layers, the back sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; and c. a bottom sheet made of one or more layers, the bottom sheet having an proximal edge and a distal edge; d. wherein the upper edge of the front sheet is fused to the upper edge of the back sheet, the left edge of the front sheet is fused to the left edge of the back sheet, the right edge of the front sheet is fused to the right edge of the back sheet, the proximal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the front sheet, and the distal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the back sheet.
 2. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 1, further comprising: a. a laser-cut score through a portion of the front sheet.
 3. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 2, wherein the laser-cut score is along a corner formed by an intersection of the upper edges and left edges of the front and back sheets, the laser-cut score allowing for the pouch to be opened and contents removed.
 4. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 3, wherein the laser-cut score is a series of small holes, the series of small holes in both the front and back sheets, the series of small holes forming a line.
 5. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 3, wherein the laser-cut score is a series of small holes, the series of small holes in both the front and back sheets, the series of small holes forming a line, the series of small holes penetrating one or more layers of the front sheet, and one or more layers of the back sheet.
 6. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 5, wherein the series of small holes penetrates two layers of the front sheet, and two layers of the back sheet.
 7. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 5, wherein the line is in the shape of an arc, where the arc is a segment of a circle.
 8. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 4, wherein a space created between the front sheet and back sheet contains wine and an inert purge gas.
 9. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 8, wherein the inert gas is carbon-dioxide.
 10. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 9, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.
 11. A pouch for the storage of wine, the pouch comprising: a. a front sheet made of one or more layers, the front sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; b. a back sheet made of one or more layers, the back sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; and c. a bottom sheet made of one or more layers, the bottom sheet having an proximal edge and a distal edge; d. wherein the upper edge of the front sheet is fused to the upper edge of the back sheet, the left edge of the front sheet is fused to the left edge of the back sheet, the right edge of the front sheet is fused to the right edge of the back sheet, the proximal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the front sheet, and the distal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the back sheet; and e. within a space created by the fusion of the front sheet, back sheet, and bottom sheet contains wine and an inert purge gas.
 12. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 11, further comprising: a. a laser-cut score through one or more layers the front sheet and one or more layers of the back sheet, wherein the laser-cut score is along a corner formed by the intersection of the upper edges and left edges of the front and back sheets, the laser-cut score causing a portion of the pouch to be removable by tearing, the tearing following the laser-cut score.
 13. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 12, wherein the laser-cut score is a series of small holes, the series of small holes in both the front and back sheets, the series of small holes forming a line, the series of small holes penetrating one or more layers of the front sheet, and one or more layers of the back sheet.
 14. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 13, wherein the series of small holes penetrates two layers of the front sheet, and two layers of the back sheet.
 15. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 14, wherein the series of small holes is in the shape of an arc, where the arc is a segment of a circle.
 16. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 11, wherein the pouch does not include any mechanical connectors.
 17. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 12, wherein the front sheet has a thickness of from about 115 microns to about 135 microns.
 18. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 12, wherein the front sheet, back sheet, and bottom, each have a weight of from about 124 grams/square-meter, to about 146 grams/square-meter.
 19. The pouch for the storage of wine of claim 12, wherein the front sheet, back sheet, and bottom, are fused with an adhesive, the adhesive having a strength of about 250 g/inch.
 20. A pouch for the storage of wine, the pouch consisting of: a. a front sheet made of one or more layers, the front sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; b. a back sheet made of one or more layers, the back sheet having an upper edge, lower edge, left edge, and right edge; and c. a bottom sheet made of one or more layers, the bottom sheet having an proximal edge and a distal edge; d. a laser-cut score through a portion of the front sheet and a portion of the back sheet, wherein the laser-cut score is along a corner formed by an intersection of the upper edge and left edge of the front and back sheets, the laser-cut score causing a portion of the front sheet and the portion of the back sheet to be removable by tearing, the tearing following the path of the laser-cut score; e. wherein the upper edge of the front sheet is fused to the upper edge of the back sheet, the left edge of the front sheet is fused to the left edge of the back sheet, the right edge of the front sheet is fused to the right edge of the back sheet, the proximal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the front sheet, and the distal edge of the bottom sheet is fused to the lower edge of the back sheet; f. within a space created by the fusion of the front sheet, back sheet, and bottom sheet, contains wine and an inert purge gas. 